Unit 1 Pt. 1 Vocabulary - Biological Bases of Behavior: Heredity & Environment, the Nervous System, & the Brain

Flashcards for Vocabulary Quiz October 14th and 15th

Biological Psychology

The scientific study of the links between biological (genetic, neural, hormonal) & psychological processes.

Nature-Nurture Issue

The controversy over the contributions of genes & experience to psychological traits & behavior.

Natural Selection

Inherited traits enabling survival & reproduction are passed on.

Evolutionary Psychology

The study of the evolution of behavior & the mind, using natural selection principles.

Mutation

A random error in gene replication that leads to a change.

Environment

Every nongenetic influence, from prenatal nutrition to experiences.

Heredity

The genetic transfer of characteristics from parents to offspring.

Genes

The biochemical units of heredity.

Identical (monozygotic) twins

Individuals developed from a single fertilized egg that split, genetically identical.

Fraternal (dizygotic) twins

Individuals developed from separate fertilized eggs, no closer than siblings.

Interaction

The effect of one factor depends on another (heredity and environment).

Nervous System

The body’s electrochemical communication network.

Central Nervous System (CNS)

The brain & spinal cord.

Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)

The sensory & motor neurons connecting the CNS to the body.

Nerves

Bundled axons connecting the CNS with muscles, glands, & sensory organs.

Sensory Neurons

Neurons carry incoming information from the body to the brain and spinal cord.

Motor Neurons

Neurons carry outgoing information from the brain & spinal cord to the muscles & glands.

Interneurons

Neurons within the brain & spinal cord that communicate internally & process information.

Somatic Nervous System

The division of the PNS that controls the body’s skeletal muscles.

Autonomic Nervous System

The part of the PNS that controls the glands & muscles of internal organs.

Sympathetic Nervous System

The division of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body, mobilizing its energy.

Parasympathetic Nervous System

The division of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body, conserving energy.

Reflex

A simple, automatic response to a sensory stimulus.

Neuron

A nerve cell; the basic building block of the nervous system.

Cell Body

The part of a neuron that contains the nucleus; the cell’s life support center.

Dendrites

A neuron’s branching extensions that receive & integrate messages.

Axon

The segmented neuron extension that passes messages through its branches to other neurons or to muscles & glands.

Myelin Sheath

A fatty tissue layer encasing axons, enabling greater transmission speed.

Glial Cells (Glia)

Cells that support, nourish, & protect neurons.

Action Potential

A neural impulse; a brief electrical charge that travels down an axon.

Threshold

The level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse.

Refractory Period

A brief resting pause after a neuron has fired.

All-or-None Response

A neuron’s reaction of either firing or not firing.

Synapse

The junction between the axon & dendrite of neurons.

Neurotransmitters

Chemical messengers that cross the synaptic gap between neurons.

Reuptake

A neurotransmitter’s reabsorption by the sending neuron.

Endorphins

Natural, opioid-like neurotransmitters linked to pain control & pleasure.

Agonist

A molecule that increases a neurotransmitter’s action.

Antagonist

A molecule that inhibits or blocks a neurotransmitter’s action.

Endocrine System

The body’s “slow” chemical communication system; a set of glands that secrete hormones.

Hormones

Chemical messengers manufactured by the endocrine glands that travel through the bloodstream.

Biopsychosocial Approach

An integrated approach that incorporates biological, psychological, & social-cultural levels of analysis.

Levels of Analysis

Differing views, from biological to psychological to social-cultural.

Neuroplasticity

The brain’s ability to change by reorganizing or building new pathways.

Lesion

Tissue destruction; brain lesions may occur naturally or experimentally.

EEG (Electroencephalogram)

An amplified recording of the waves of electrical activity sweeping across the brain’s surface.

CT (Computed Tomography) Scan

A series of X-ray photographs combined into a composite representation of a slice of the brain.

PET (Positron Emission Tomography)

A technique for detecting brain activity by showing where glucose goes.

MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging)

A technique that uses magnetic fields & radio waves to produce images of soft tissue.

fMRI (Functional MRI)

A technique for revealing blood flow and, therefore, brain activity.

Hindbrain

Consists of the medulla, pons, & cerebellum; directs survival functions.

Midbrain

Connects the hindbrain with the forebrain, controls some movement, & transmits auditory and visual data.

Forebrain

Consists of the cerebral cortex, thalamus, & hypothalamus; manages complex activities.

Brainstem

The central core of the brain, responsible for automatic survival functions.

Medulla

The brainstem’s base; controls heartbeat & breathing.

Thalamus

The forebrain’s sensory control center.

Reticular Activating System

A nerve network that filters information & controls arousal.

Cerebellum

Processes sensory input, coordinates movement output & balance.

Limbic System

Neural system associated with emotions & drives.

Amygdala

Neural clusters linked to emotion.

Hypothalamus

Directs maintenance activities, helps govern the endocrine system, & is linked to emotion & reward.

Hippocampus

Helps process explicit memories for storage.

Cerebral Cortex

The body’s ultimate control & information-processing center.

Frontal Lobes

Enable linguistic processing, muscle movements, higher-order thinking, & executive functioning.

Parietal Lobes

Receives sensory input for touch & body position.

Occipital Lobes

Receives information from the visual fields.

Temporal Lobes

Includes auditory areas & enables language processing.

Motor Cortex

Controls voluntary movements.

Somatosensory Cortex

Registers & processes body touch & movement sensations.

Association Areas

Involved in higher mental functions such as learning, remembering, thinking, & speaking.

Neurogenesis

The formation of new neurons.

Corpus Callosum

Connects the two brain hemispheres & carries messages between them.

Split Brain

A condition resulting from surgery that separates the brain’s two hemispheres.